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Month: July 2020

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Sabbath | Isaiah 58:13-14

This is from my Facebook Live from Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

I hope everyone is doing well!! We are so thankful here in our area that we have had  some much needed rain today! I know the farmers are praising Father God today!! 

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I would share spiritual disciplines that can lead to spiritual transformation.  In her book, Sacred Rhythms. Ruth Haley Barton shares the importance of taking time to create your own sacred rhythms. 

Recently, I shared the importance of silence and solitude and how reading God’s word for transformation leads to a deeper relationship with Christ.  Today I want to speak with you about how God has shown me the importance of Sabbath. 

The passage I am reading from is found in Isaiah 58.

“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.  I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Isaiah 58:13-14 NLT

Sabbath or Shabbat in Hebrew, is a day of rest on the seventh day of the week.  Sabbath keeping is a way of ordering one’s life around the pattern of working six days and resting on the seventh. 

One thing that I have come to understand during this season is the importance of Sabbath. While in full time ministry, I found it very difficult to keep a sabbath.  I would fill my days off with all the things I couldn’t get to during my work week. Laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, other projects.. You name it – I did it!! Most weekends I would fall into bed at night completely exhausted.  

God has used this season to teach me the importance of taking a day to rest and refuel and just “BE”. It is a pattern that God himself established as he was doing his work. He worked six days and rested on the seventh. 

This is something Kevin and I have regularly been doing this these past couple of months. We begin our Sabbath time at 6:00p on Saturday and keep it until 6:00p on Sunday. 

As I look to re-enter full time ministry, I am convinced more than ever the importance of keeping a day to honor the sabbath. I believe God wants us to emerge from our Sabbath rested and renewed, not worn out. 

Now, you may be wondering.. What AM I to “DO” for Sabbath…think about things that would allow your body to rest, replenish your spirit and restore your soul.  In his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer, shares some ways you can mark your sabbath:  

  • Lighting the candles
  • Blessing the children
  • Eating a meal
  • Singing
  • Worshipping with your Community
  • Walking
  • Napping
  • Making love (if you’re married)
  • Reading
  • Spending time alone with God
  • Spending time with family and friends
  • Gratitude

Here’s your challenge… What if you took time out of your week to create a sabbath for yourself? How do you think your life would be different? I think you may be surprised how the much better your week will go when you work from your rest!

Let’s pray.. 

Heavenly Father, 

Today, I pray your blessings over everyone listening today. I pray for my friends who are needing rest. I pray they will find the rest and renewal they need by honoring the Sabbath. 

In Jesus name. Amen. 

Thanks for joining me today! 

Have a blessed day! 

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God’s Word | Scripture | 2 Timothy 3:16

This is from my Facebook Live from Monday, July 20, 2020.

I hope everyone is doing well!! Can you believe we are more than half way through the month of July? Our summer is going quickly!! 

A couple of weeks ago I shared about the spiritual discipline of  Silence and Solitude. Today I want to speak with you about the importance of reading God’s Word.  

In 2 Timothy 3:16 it says… 

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. “

I have been reading the book, Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton. Ruth shares the difference of reading of Gods word for information verses transformation. She encouraged the reader to think about reading a newspaper verses reading a love letter.

Think about that… how many times do you skim the newspaper or your news apps for the headlines?  You are looking for information, right? There’s really very little emotional connection to those headlines, right? Now think about the reading a love letter.. There’s much more anticipation and emotional connection in reading a love letter. Many times we approach God’s word more like the newspaper than a love letter. What if we really allowed ourselves to be transformed by God’s word? God’s word encourages us, strengthens us, and renews us. Our relationship with God can be strengthened by spending time in His word.

Let’s pray.. 

Heavenly Father, Thank you father for your word, that is alive and active. Thank you for the reminder of how we can experience transformation as we spend time in Your Word. Today, I pray your blessings over everyone listening today.  In Jesus name. Amen. 

Thanks for joining me today! Have a blessed day! 

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Seeking Stillness & Solitude

I originally wrote this for the Arise Newsletter, Volume 2 Issue 7 | July 2020. Arise is an organization for ordained women ministers in the Church of God. The video was a result of the following article.

“Many Christians have so busied themselves with programs and activities that they no longer know how to be silent and meditate on God’s word or recognize the mysteries that are in the Person of Christ.” 

Ravi Zacharias

About two years ago, while on staff at Salem Church of God, we were wrapping up a Gravity discipleship course with Kristan Dooley. As a result, I felt God call me to deepen my roots.  Unfortunately there were times my quiet time was something I looked at as something I would check off my “to do”  list. I saw it as something “To do” rather than “to BE” with Jesus. 

I knew God was calling me to a deeper relationship with him. I knew God was calling me to Stillness.. To BE with Him. One verse kept coming back to me.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

Psalm 46:10 (nlt)

I realized I was really good at “doing” but not good at “being”.  I struggled to spend ten minutes alone with God. I sensed something had to change. I no longer wanted to be so busy working for God, that I didn’t know God. And I realized that being busy for God, could make me miss out on what He really wanted for me. Was it possible I could do God’s work, yet miss out on what he truly wanted me to do? Was I listening?

Busy-ness makes us look like the rest of our culture. You cannot hear God if you’re too busy to listen. Busy-ness causes us to take matters into our own hands instead of giving it to God. Instead, God calls us to be still.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.”  

Psalm 27:14 (nlt)

Sitting in stillness and silence was such a new thing for me. There are times when it is still difficult. But It has changed my relationship with God more than I could ever imagine. I encourage you to take a few minutes of your prayer time to just be still and quiet. Listen to God’s love for you. Remember—GOD loves you and cares for you more than you can ever imagine! 

If you are looking for ways to quiet yourself and be still, here are some simple steps for you to try. 

  • Find a comfortable place to sit and be still
  • Concentrate on your breathing
  • Inhale then exhale.  
  • Notice your body relaxing
  • Feel God’s presence

It may take you a few days to get comfortable with this. At first, your mind will race to the things you need to do for that day. Keep at it! I promise you will come to a place where you start to crave this stillness. Remember, God wants to BE with you more than he wants you to DO. Take time to be with him!

Here are a few resources I have found helpful. 

Books

  • An Invitation to Retreat by Ruth Haley Barton
  • Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero
  • Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
  • Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
  • Soul Keeping by John Ortberg
  • Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton

Podcasts

  • Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership with Ruth Haley Barton
  • The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast with Pete Scazzero

Apps

  • Centering Prayer
  • Pray As You Go
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Peace | Philippians 4:6-7

Hey friends – This is my Facebook Live from July 16.

I hope you are all doing well in the midst of this crazy season we are STILL in. It’s hard to believe we are halfway through the year… halfway through July and we are in our 5th month of COVID19.  We continue to see a growing number of coronavirus cases throughout the United States. It’s unbelievable how rapidly it has spread since states have reopened.  We also continue to see a climate where there is extreme racial and political tension. Y’all, I feel like we are in the middle of a big storm!  I have to keep reminding myself that God is in CONTROL! 

Many of you may also be experiencing your own personal storms…

  • maybe you or a loved one are waiting to hear back about a diagnosis.
  • maybe you are recovering from an illness or surgery.
  • maybe you are patiently waiting to hear back about a job opportunity.
  • maybe you and your family are trying to figure out if you are going to send your kids to school this fall. 

We have so many storms around us… but I’m here to tell someone that God is bigger than your storm! One of the best scriptures on peace is found in Philippians.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  

Philippians 4:6-7

I think it is easy to look at our current situation and only think doom and gloom – that things will never change. I don’t buy into that thinking… Because I know my God is Greater than any problem – any storm.  I love the quote… 

“Don’t tell God about how big your STORM is… tell your STORM how BIG your God is!!!”

God wants to hear our praise and prayers.  He wants to know that you believe He is bigger than your problem! With God.. We can have peace in the midst of the storms.

Will you pray with me…

God, we thank you for your word that is alive and active. Thank you for your peace that passes all understanding. Guard our hearts and minds today. Father God, I also pray for all those who are listening today. I pray for a blessing over each one. I pray they may experience God’s peace. 

Thank you for hearing these prayers. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Friends, Thank you for joining me today! I hope you know that you are loved! 

Blessings, everyone!